narrowing of the small bowel

[christa517]

I have just gad a small bowel series done and was told by the doctors nurse that I need to come in because I have a stricture in my small bowel.  When I asked her what that meant she said a blockage/narrowing of the small bowels.  My question is what exactly does that mean??

[coughting]

It could just mean that there has been an infection in that part of the bowel or it could mean chrons.

You definately need to have more tests.  My chrons showed on the barium swallow and I also had a blood test to see if I had the gene for chrons.  It did confirm the chrons and I ended up getting very sick later.  Started on Remicade which did wonders.  Then got a bladder infection, after meds didn't clear up more tests and it showed that I had a fistula and so I ended up with a bowel resection.

I did my research and chose a surgeon who was a bariatric surgeon with load of laproscopic surgeries under his belt.  He was wonderful.  

I fought having the bowel resection because of all the negatives that I had heard.  Thank goodness my surgeon said no to just fixing the fistula.  In the mass of wadded up small bowel they removed there was a small cancer.  Because it had not spread, I didn't have to have further treatment, only visit the oncologist every 3 months for 1 1/2 years and now every 4 months.  Later it will go to once a year.  I feel very lucky to have a great GI dr and a great surgeon.  If I had not had the surgery the cancer would be raging by now.

But today I feel great and the chrons is in remission.  The sooner you find out you have chrons on something like that, the better.  The meds can work much better before your chrons is so bad.  My GI dr said I had the chrons a long time but it just never caused any problems.  

Some of my early symptoms were:
stomach rumbling
diarrhea
flu like symptoms where I would have a bad chill and fever spike, next day washed out and slept all day.  Then fine after that for a long time until I had another spell.

You may simply have had an infection that has caused the narrowing and meds will help that.

Best of luck

[Tracy1027]

I had a ct scan and was told the ileum did not show on the ct scan ...the dye did not go there ....what does this mean?

[coughting]

It could mean a bad test or it could mean narrowing at this site of the bowel.  Ask the dr.  Write down all the questions you have and ask them what it means and what the treatment is.

If for some reason they are saying that surgery is the only option, which I doubt, make sure you find a bariatric surgeon who routinely does laproscopy.

Best of luck

Jayne